Titanophoneus

Titanophoneus Temporal range: Guadalupian (Roadian to Wordian),
Mounted skeleton of Titanophoneus potens
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Clade:	Synapsida
Clade:	Therapsida
Suborder:	†Dinocephalia
Family:	†Anteosauridae
Subfamily:	†Anteosaurinae
Genus:	†Titanophoneus Efremov, 1938
Type species
†Titanophoneus potens Efremov, 1938
Species
Titanophoneus potens Efremov, 1938 Titanophoneus adamanteus Orlov, 1958
Synonyms
Doliosaurus Orlov, 1958 Doliosauriscus Orlov, 1958

Titanophoneus ("titanic murderer") is an extinct genus of carnivorous dinocephalian therapsid from the Middle Permian. It is classified within the family Anteosauridae. The type species is Titanophoneus potens. Remains of Titanophoneus have been found at Isheevo, Russia.

Description

An adult skull would have reached 80 cm with a heavy long snout. The long tail and short limbs show the species to be a primitive therapsid, unlike Inostrancevia, which was more advanced. The structure of the limbs and the density of the bone are designed for a sprawling stance. The temporal opening is more advanced than Estemmenosuchidae, but less advanced than Inostrancevia.

The teeth are large with 12 large palate incisors followed by 2 canines and various smaller back teeth. The lower palate is the same as the upper but without the canine teeth. The appearance of Titanophoneus is reminiscent to the sphenacodontid pelycosaurs, which included Dimetrodon.

Gallery

• 
  Reconstruction of a T. potens feasting on a Ulemosaurus
• 
  Reconstruction of a pair of T. potens
• 
  Fossil skeleton of a juvenile individual.
• 
  Reconstruction of T. adamanteus
• 
  Two specimens of T. potens compared to a human

See also

• List of therapsids

References

• Vickers-Rich, Patricia; Thomas H. Rich (1993). The Great Russian Dinosaurs. Guntar Graphics. p. 36.

External links

• Taxonomy